Catwoman And Joker Celebration Masks
Has it really been 80 years since The Joker and Catwoman first appeared on the turbulent streets of Gotham City? Yes. Time flies when you’re tormenting Batman. Both characters began their criminal escapades in the 1940 release of Batman #1! What better way to celebrate the anniversary of such a menacing arrival than with costume masks! Included inside two special tributes, The Joker 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular #1, and Catwoman 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular #1, these removable paper masks are sure to inspire our inner cosplayer.
What better artist to bear the weight of this joyous costume charade than long time DC Comics creator Ryan Sook. As penciler for the pages of Zatanna and The Spectre, and featured cover artist on The Justice League, Ryan is no stranger to the arsenal of DC characters. Ryan’s versatility will lend itself perfectly for the concept in-mind for this celebration: creating a multitude of masks to honor Cat and Mr. J.
On The Shoulders Of Giants
In The Joker 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular #1, and Catwoman 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular #1, Sook will pay homage to the many interpretations of these iconic characters. Top on the list for this artistic tribute will be visionary developer and artist Bruce Timm. Timm’s explosive Batman: The Animated Series sparked a chain reaction of feature films, comic books and video games.
Imitation Is The Highest Form Of Flattery
When it comes to the Joker, virtually every A-List artist has penciled those twisted eyes and gargantuan smile. For the masks of Mr. J, the hyper-versatile Ryan Sook has elected to emulate the style of the masters before him. Starting with the aforementioned Bruce Timm, (top left.) Industry legend Neal Adams (bottom left.) Visionary pioneer Frank Miller (top right.) The macabre nightmare that is Greg Capullo (bottom right.)
More Than 9 Lives
In her 80-year lifespan, Selina Kyle, a.k.a. Catwoman has been reincarnated by an amazing roster of talent. As you can see, Ryan Sook is a changeling who can capture the nuance of any artist. Here we see varying degrees of “cartoony” as per Bruce Timm version (top left) and Darwyn Cooke (bottom left.) To the more Silver Age style of Jim Aparo (top right,) and the fashionably realistic Joelle Jones (bottom right.)
When? When? When?
The Catowman and Joker masks are only available in the Catwoman 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular #1 to be released on April 15th, 2020 and then, two weeks later, The Joker 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular #1 on April 29, 2020. Both issues, printed in Prestige format, feature higher quality paper, square bound spine, and will be distributed to comic book shops everywhere.
Pop quiz: Do you know the first comic to be released that featured Prestige format? Leave a comment.
